Device for beating out pianos



(No Model.)

E.-Q. NORTON.

DBVIGE FOR BEATING OUT PIANOS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

N. PETERS, Pmwuuw m Wuhingicn. m;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-G EDlVARD QUINCY NORTON, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

DEVICE FOR BEATING GUT PlANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 393,024, dated November 20, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD QUINCY Non- TON, a resident of Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Beating out Pianos, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to beating-out machines for pianos; and the objects of my improvement are to beat out any inequalities in the cloth, felt, and leather throughout the action, to stretch and settle the strings with uniformity and rapidity, and to develop at once any existing latent defects which cannot be detected by methods now employed until actual use through a considerable time. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan of a portion of the machine adjusted on a piano. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the end of the clamp. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clamp with the beater-rail spring and lifterrail.

1 is a clamp, which may be made of wood or metal, as may be desired; and it consists of a vertical piece, 2, on the inner face of which is the felting, 3.

4 and 5 are horizontal arms fixed on the ver tieal piece 2. lVhen east of metal, the arms and vertical piece may be cast together as a whole. Through the lower arm, 5, pass the threaded clamp-screws (Sand 7, the said arm 5 having the holes 8 and 9, provided with corr sponding threads to engage with the thread on screws 6 and 7. The upper arm, 4, has two holes, 10 and 11, threaded so that the adj Listing-screws 12 and 13 may operate therein. Each screw has fixed at its end the fiat washer 14, which may be felted, so that the surface with which they come in contact may not be injured. At the outer end of the arm 4 is the opening 15, in which is adjusted the rounded end 17 of the lifting-rail16, which is allowed to rotate in said opening.

18 is a triangular recess in the inward end of the arm 4, in which is adjusted the beaterrail 19. The end 20 of said rail 19 is rounded, and is adjusted in the orifice 21 of the arm 4, in which it is allowed to turn when desired, as hereinafter mentioned. The said end 20 is kept from any lateral movement by the pin 23, or by any suitable methot 22 is the rail-screw passing through the arm 4., and pressing against the rail 19 in the recess 18.

24 is the beaterspring, which at one end is fixed by screws 25, or any suitable mechanical device, to the under side of the rail 19, and at the other end is slightly upbent, as shown in Fig. 3.

26 is the beater, made of any suitable form or material,covered with i'elt,and fastened on the spring 21 by screws or any suitable mechanical contrivanee.

The clamp 1, which has been described and shown in Fig. 3, as may be readily observed, is the clamp used at the left of my machine. A similar clamp is used at the right or upper end constructed with similar parts,whicl1 are, however, arranged on the inner face, as in the left clampthat is, the one is a clamp for the right side or end, the other a clamp for the left side.

16 is the liftingrail, which has two rounded ends, 17 17, adjusted, as described, in the arms 44 of the clamps 1 1. On either end of the said liftingrail 16, outside of the arm 4-, is fixed the grooved wheel 28, and upon the wheel is the fixed handle 29, their function being to turn said rail 16. The said rail 16 is twisted, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow the haters 2G to fall successively on the keys of the piano.

The rail 19 is triangular in shape with rounded edges, and arranged in the recesses 18 18, as described. The springs 21 are placed along the rail 19, as shown in Fig. 8, at a distance corresponding to the distance between the pianokeys, and have their upturned ends resting on the rail 16. \Vhen it is desired to increase the striking-power of the springs 21, the rail 19 is turned downward in the recesses 18 18 by the rail-screws 22.

are piano-keys of the ordinary pattern.

\Vhen it is desired to operate my machine, the arms i 4. are'adjusted on the key-cheeks or key-bed of the piano, as shown in Fig. 1, and the arms 5 5 on the under part of the pianoca-se. By means of the adj llSlJlllg-SCIGWS 12 and 13 the height of the machine to thekeyboard is adjusted so that it may be applicable to any piano. The clamps 1 1 are then fixed IOO in position by turning the clamp-screws 6 and 7 against the under part of the piano. Then the clamps are thus fixed, the heaters 26 are above the respective keys, as shown in Fig. 1, ready to strike where the fingers would ordi narily touch,the heaters above the white keys being necessarily farther outward on their respective springs than those above the black keys. The lifting-rail 16 is turned, as indicated by arrow in Fig. 3, by means of the handle 29, or by a belt over the wheel 28. The heater-springs 24, which rest on the rail 16, are raised as the twist in said rail allows, the time of the raising and falling of the said springs being dependent on the twist. The twist is such that the heaters shall depress the keys successively, and thus. each note played in its turn. I do not confine myself to one twist, as it may be varied to allow the heaters to depress the keys in different order. \Vhen the springs 21 fall, they carry with them the heaters 26, which strike the keys in their successive order, according to the twist.

It will thus be observed that by my machine all defects or inequalities in mechanism and material of the action can be developed in the shortest possible time, thus admitting of the final regulating or adjusting of the action. The stretch of the strings of the piano is also beaten out, and the strings may receive their final tuning, thus aging the piano, which can then with safety be termed complete and suitable for sale.

Having described my invent-ion and its operation, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, and claim, is--- 1. In combination, the clamps 1. and the lifting-rail16, twisted as described,and having the ends rounded and adjusted in the arms 4 4 of said clamps 1, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The lifting-rail 16, having the rounded ends 17 17, and twisted as described, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In combination, the beaterrail 19, the

beater-springs 24.,fixed to said rail,and the beaters 26, fixed to said springs 2.t,all substantially as described and shown. at. In combination, the clamps 1, the clampscrews 6 and 7, operating in the holes 8 and 9 of the arms 5 of said clamps, the adjustingscrews 12 and 13, operating in the holes 10 and 11 of the arms 4 of said clamps, the beater-rail 19, adjusted in the recesses 18 of said clamps and allowed to turn upon the ends 20, adjusted in the orifices 21 of the arms 4, the rail-screws 22, passing through said arms 4c and against said rail 19, the beater-rail 16, twisted as de scribed, having the rounded ends 17, passing through said arms 4-, and having thereon the wheels 28, provided with the handle 29, for the purpose of turning said beater-rail, the beater-springs 2 1-, fixed on the under side of rail 19 by the screws 25, and having their opposite ends upturned and resting on the lifting-rail 16, and the heaters 26, fixed to said spring as described, all arranged substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 23d day of Septemher, A. D. 1887.

EDWARD QUINCY NORTON.

\Vitnesses:

II. DUNHAM, FREDERICK. DUNI'IAM. 

